2007 Antwerp & Bangalore WTA Singles Results Amelie Mauresmo & Yaroslava Shvedova, Champions

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  WTA Feb 12-18: Antwerp & Bangalore

Proximus Diamond Games Antwerp, BEL
Tier II $600,000 - 28 players
indoor: hard (Decoturf)
Live Scores, OOP & Results
WTA pdf.: draws & OOP - notes - .html draw
pics: Yahoo! news - tourney gallery - WTA
Antwerp: weather radar - forecast
Antwerp Gazette: Tennis (in Dutch)
# 3 Amelie Mauresmo, # 4 Kim Clijsters
# 7 Nadia Petrova, # 8 Elena Dementieva

Sony Ericsson Int'l, Bangalore, IND
Tier III $175,000 - 32 players
outdoor: hard (Rebound Ace)
Live Scores link fixed again (2nd change)
WTA pdf.: draws & OOP
pics: Yahoo! news - WTA
Bangalore: weather
Deccan Herald
# 38 Mara Santangelo, # 49 Sania Mirza
# 55 Vasilisa Bardina, # 59 J Kostanic Tosic
Tourney pages: Antwerp & Bangalore: 2006 Antwerp: 2005 - 2004
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Antwerp:
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#3 Amelie Mauresmo
5' 9", 152 lbs, RH, 1H-BH
Bangalore:
click for Shvedova news photo search
#133 Yaroslava Shvedova
5' 10¼", 147 lbs, RH, 2H-BH

    On Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium, in the final of the Proximus Diamond Games, top-seeded 27-year-old # 3 Amelie Mauresmo of France (residence: Geneva, Switzerland) narrowly defeated 23-year-old 2nd-seeded # 4 Kim Clijsters from Bree, Belgium, 6-4, 7-6(5) (Kim, left, and Amelie, right, are shown with the hardware after the match).

    Kim, one of the two Great Walls of Belgium, was said to be playing in her last tourney in her native land before retiring later this year. However, Kim has always played in the tourney in Hasselt, Belgium, the last week before the season ending WTA Championships, and it is possible she will be persuaded to reconsider and play one more Belgian tourney in October.
    Kim, who dislikes clay courts, says is going to skip the French Open this year, and concentrate on preparing for Wimbledon. She will marry American basketball player Brian Lynch after Wimbledon, then her schedule is uncertain, other than retiring by the end of the season.

    The sellout crowd of 14,500 Clijsters fans were somewhat distraught over several line calls in the close match, including during the tiebreaker. After the match, Amelie said: "It's a bit difficult for me now because I know you are all very disappointed. I am sorry. I understand, Kim is a great champion." Reuters story

    For winning the Proximus Diamond Games three times within five years, Amelie, who also won in Antwerp in 2005 and 2006, will keep the tourney trophy, a 4-kilogram gold racquet studded with 1,702 diamonds and valued at $1 million euros ($1.31 million dollars).
    Kim said: "Enjoy the beautiful racquet, you deserve it and I am sure it will find a nice place in your house. You always play well here and you are a terrific player."
    If Amelie has to pay income tax on the racquet in both Belgium and Switzerland (where she resides), she might find it to be the most expensive thing on her wall in more ways than one.

    Kim still leads Amelie 8-7 in career matches, but Amelie has now defeated Kim in their last five meetings in a row, including the final in Antwerp last year, when Amelie won, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

    Meanwhile in Bangalore, India, in the final of the Sony Ericsson International, unseeded 19-year-old # 133 Yaroslava Shvedova from Moscow, Russia, who had never reached a WTA quarterfinal before this week, won her first WTA singles title by defeating the 2006 Bangalore champion, 25-year-old top-seeded # 38 Mara Santangelo from Cavalese, Italy, 6-4, 6-4 (happy Yaroslava is shown adjusting her hairband after the match).

    Yaroslava said: "I'm so excited, I can't stop shaking. To win my first WTA Tour title is amazing and such a surprise. I kept focusing on the points and played so well and all the balls I hit were going in; everything just worked for me out there. I tried not to think about the fact that this was my first final, to keep from being tight or nervous. It worked in the match, but now I am in shock." BBC story
    Mara said: "I played well to reach the final, but [Yaroslava] played better than me today."
    Mara's 2006 Bangalore title was her only previous WTA singles final appearance; Mara and Yaroslava had never before met on the field of combat.

WTA SCOREBOARD: Antwerp & Bangalore

s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser
ranks are for the previous week
How do players get into the "draw"?

Proximus Diamond Games,  Antwerp, Belgium

 

    Antwerp: The main draw for Antwerp has 8 seeds, with 4 1st-round byes.
    There are 4 qualifiers in the main draw.
    Qualifying (3 rounds) starts on Friday, qualifying finals are on Sunday.
   
Antwerp Sportpaleis
Antwerp Sportpaleis -- click for satellite pic/map
Latitude: 51.231032 Longitude: 4.44111 goto link for World Wind
ViaMichelin Antwerp city map


    The time in Antwerp is UCT (GMT, Zulu...) +1 hours (Pacific Time+9, ET+6). Belgium news

click for tourney photo gallery click for tourney photo gallery click for Clijsters news photo search click for Mauresmo news photo search click for tourney photo gallery
Tatiana Golovin and Vera Dushevina were among the healthy young ladies looking very nice at the Antwerp player party on Sunday... On Tuesday, local hero Kim Clijsters, playing her last tourney in Belgium before retiring later this year, pointed out to the press that 2005 & 2006 Proximus champ Amelie Mauresmo will keep the tourney trophy, a gold tennis racquet studded with 1,702 diamonds, if she wins for a third time... On Monday, Elena Dementieva provided a pretty photo op by taking a horse-drawn carriage ride with her mom
Antwerp, 1st Rd, Mon-Wed noon
losers' prize: $3,885 US (2006: $4,175); points: 1
#11 s5 Patty Schnyder SUI d #104 wc Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-4, 6-1 Mon

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Kirsten's backhand volley, and Patty after match point

#12 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #54 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-4, 6-1 Mon

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Elena thinking about all the nice things she can do with this backhand, and Dinara after winning a point

#13 s7 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #39 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6-4, 6-2 Mon

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Eleni about to launch a backhand, and Anna running down a forehand

#14 s8 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #58 LL Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 6-3, 6-2 Wed

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Ana and Anastasiya both volleying forehands on the move

#19 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #23 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 6-0, 6-2 Tue

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Tatiana driving a forehand

*#79 q Virginie Razzano FRA d #20 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER 6-4, 6-1 Tue

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Anna-Lena preparing to fire a forehand, Virginie following a backhand, and after winning a point

#21 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #124 q Lilia Osterloh USA 6-1, 6-0 Tue

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Lilia and Vera delivering forehand drives

*#35 Olga Poutchkova RUS d #34 Severine Bremond FRA 7-6 retired-- left groin strain Tue
*#70 Michaella Krajicek NED d #37 Martina Muller GER 6-3, 6-2 Mon

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Michaella following a cannonball serve, and Martina's backhand drive

#53 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #92 q Julia Schruff GER 6-1, 6-1 Tue
#61 Sybille Bammer AUT d #234 wc Caroline Maes BEL 6-2, 6-0 Tue

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Sybille swatting a forehand, Caroline belting a backhand, and Sybille after winning a point

#63 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #111 q Vera Dushevina RUS 6-4, 6-1 Tue

Antwerp, 2nd Rd, Wed-Thu noon
losers' prize: $7,230 US (2006: $7,820); points: 35
#3 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #79 q Virginie Razzano FRA 7-6(6), 7-5 Thu

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Amelie driving a forehand, and Virginie driving a backhand

#4 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #35 Olga Poutchkova RUS 6-0, 6-2 Wed

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Kim twisting a serve Olgaward, Kim after match point, and Olga congratulating Kim for crushing her so completely

#7 s3 Nadia Petrova RUS d #21 Vera Zvonareva RUS 7-6(2), 6-4 Thu

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Nadia delivering a twist serve, Vera firing a forehand, Nadia belting a backhand,
and the secret of Nadia's victory: fueling up on Belgian chocolate the day before the match

*#63 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #8 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-2, 1-1 retired-- rib injury Thu

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Elena D serving, and Elena L launching a backhand drive with one of the brand-new Wilson K-Factor Six-One bats

*#19 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #11 s5 Patty Schnyder SUI 6(2)-7, 7-6, 6-2 Wed

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Patty considering which way to spin a forehand, and Tatiana firing one on the fly

#12 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #70 Michaella Krajicek NED 6-2, 7-6(4) Wed

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Dinara's service toss, Michaella's running forehand, and Dinara's backhand drive

#13 s7 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #61 Sybille Bammer AUT 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 Wed

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Anna driving a forehand, Sybille following a backhand, Anna driving a backhand, and after winning a point

#14 s8 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #53 Nathalie Dechy FRA 6-3, 6(2)-7, 6-2 Thu

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Nathalie's forehand, and Ana's backhand

Antwerp, QFs, Fri noon
losers' prize: $13,500 US (2006: $14,600); points: 70
#3 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #12 s6 Dinara Safina RUS 6-1, 6-3

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Amelie's running backhand, and Dinara after losing a point

#4 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #14 s8 Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-2, 6-1

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Kim's splits forehand, Ana about to swat a forehand, Kim after match point, and Ana congratulating Kim

*#13 s7 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #7 s3 Nadia Petrova RUS 6-3, 6-4

click for Petrova news photo search click for Chakvetadze news photo search click for Chakvetadze news photo search click for Chakvetadze news photo search
Nadia about to swat a forehand, Anna delivering one on the run, after match point,
and likely laughing at some Russki witticism uttered by her compatriot

#19 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #63 Elena Likhovtseva RUS 7-6(3), 7-5

click for Golovin news photo search   click for Likhovtseva news photo search   click for tourney gallery
Tatiana and Elena delivering backhands on the run, and Tatiana about to launch a forehand

Antwerp, SFs, Sat 1pm
losers' prize: $25,240 US (2006: $27,300); points: 125
#3 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #13 s7 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-2

click for Chakvetadze news photo search click for Mauresmo news photo search click for Chakvetadze news photo search click for Mauresmo news photo search
Anna's service toss, Amelie driving a forehand, Anna's forehand, and Amelie running down a backhand

    The first player who wins the Proximus Diamond Games three times within five years will keep the tourney trophy, a gold racquet studded with 1,702 diamonds and valued at $1 million euros ($1.31 million dollars).
    Amelie won in Antwerp in 2005 and 2006; if she wins on Sunday, she will keep the gold & diamond racquet. Amelie said: "I didn't return well, I had too many ups and downs. Every match I win, it's [the racket] starting to be a little bit more on my mind. But the final will be the toughest one to win." Reuters story

    Anna said: "I lost concentration for three or four games in the third set, and that's why I lost the match. But it has definitely been a good tournament for me, despite losing today. I just have to gain more confidence when I play more important players."

#4 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #19 Tatiana Golovin FRA 6-4, 6-3

click for Clijsters news photo search   click for Golovin news photo search   click for Clijsters news photo search   click for tourney gallery
Kim lining up a forehand, Tatiana launching a backhand, Kim about to lightly tap one, and Tatiana congratulating Kim

    Kim said: "I over compensated on my serve. [Tatiana] has a very quick and strong return of serve, and I tried to plan towards that."

Antwerp, Final, Sun 2pm
loser's prize: $47,125 US (2006: $51,000); points: 190
winner's prize: $88,265 US (2006: $95,500); points: 275
#3 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #4 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL 6-4, 7-6(5)

click for tourney gallery   click for Likhovtseva news photo search
Kim twisting a serve Amelieward, and Amelie about to launch a backhand

Antwerp, Doubles Final, Thu
losers' prize: $14,900 US (2006: $16,120)
winners' prize: $27,730 US (2006: $30,000)
cdr9 s1 Cara Black & Liezel Huber d cdr69 s4 Elena Likhovtseva & Elena Vesnina 7-5, 4-6, 6-1

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Finalists Elena Likhovtseva & Elena Vesnina, and champions Cara Black & Lizel Huber


Antwerp, Qual Finals, Mon Feb 12 10am
losers' prizes: q1: $595; q2: $1,105; q3: $2,065 US (2006: $2,230)
*#124 Lilia Osterloh USA d #58 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 7-5, 7-6
*#111 Vera Dushevina RUS d #78 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
#79 Virginie Razzano FRA d #100 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS 6-2, 6-3
#92 Julia Schruff GER d #108 Karolina Sprem CRO 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Antwerp, Withdrawals
#51 Venus Williams USA left wrist
#32 Lucie Safarova CZE left shoulder tendonitis

click for Clijsters news photo search   click for tourney gallery
 
Bangalore Open,  Bangalore, India

 

    Bangalore: The main draw for Bangalore has 8 seeds, with NO 1st-round byes.
    There are 4 qualifiers in the main draw.
    Qualifying (3 rounds) starts on Saturday, qualifying finals are on Monday.
   
Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts at Cubbon Park in Bangalore, India
KSLTA courts, Cubbon Park, Bangalore-- click for sat pic & map
Latitude: 12.975181 Longitude: 77.595239 goto link for World Wind
Bangalore city map


    The time in Bangalore is UCT (GMT, Zulu...) +5½ hours (Pacific Time+13½, ET+10½). India News

    This is the 2nd year for the Bangalore tourney, which replaced the tourney in Hyderabad, India.

click for WTA gallery     click for WTA gallery
Players were paraded on vintage cars in Bangalore on Saturday...
at Monday's party, players including Sunitha Rao donned traditional Indian attire for the event
Bangalore, 1st Rd, Tue 9am-Wed 11am WTA Wed story
no play on Monday due to Karnataka bandh
loser's prize: $1,205 US (2006: $1,300); points: 1
#38 s1 Mara Santangelo ITA d #256 q Shengnan Sun CHN 6-2, 7-6(4) Wed

    2006 Bangalore champ Mara said: "I started off really aggressively, but in the second set I started to make mistakes and [Shengnan] played better. I'm really tired, but in the end I managed to win. There was a little bit of luck, but that's tennis."

#49 s2 Sania Mirza IND d #98 Martina Sucha SVK 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 Wed

click for Mirza news photo search
Sania launching a backhand on the run

    Sania said: "I got a little tight in the second set and couldn't find my rhythm. Martina played a great match and is much better than her ranking. After losing the second set I said to myself, 'Just relax go out there swinging and have fun; what's the worst that can happen – you lose a tennis match!' I always play better when I'm having fun out there; it worked for me in the third set tonight."

#55 s3 Vasilisa Bardina RUS d #103 Kristina Barrios GER 6(3)-7, 6-4, 7-6(3) Tue
#59 s4 Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO d #173 wc Sophie Ferguson AUS 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 Tue
*#236 q Yurika Sema JPN d #76 s5 Yuliana Fedak UKR 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 Tue
*#97 Melinda Czink HUN d #84 s6 Yung-Jan Chan TPE 16 75 62 Wed
#86 s7 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA d #157 q Chin-Wei Chan TPE 6-3, 6-3 Tue

click for Tanasugarn news photo search
Tammy about to deliver a forehand

*#99 SR 23 Alicia Molik AUS d #87 s8 Alberta Brianti ITA 6-4, 6-3 Wed

    Alicia is still recovering from a right hamstring strain she incurred in Pattaya City, Thailand last week. Alicia said: "My main focus is getting my injury right. I was glad that I could finish in two sets. I served well when it counted."

*#257 itf Akgul Amanmuradova UZB d #88 Jarmila Gajdosova SVK 6-3, 6-3 Tue
*#142 Su-Wei Hsieh TPE d #91 Sandra Kloesel GER 6-2, 6-4 Tue
*#139 Tzipora Obziler ISR d #95 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Tue

click for Kudryavtseva news photo search     click for Obziler news photo search
Alla firing a forehand drive, and Tzipora running one down

#118 Yulia Beygelzimer UKR d #318 q Nudnida Luangnam THA 6-2, 6-1 Tue
#123 Tatiana Poutchek BLR d #151 itf Meng Yuan CHN Tue 6-2, 6-0
#133 Yaroslava Shvedova RUS d #230 wc Shikha Uberoi IND 6-3, 6(3)-7, 6-3 Tue

click for Shvedova news photo search     click for Shvedova news photo search
Yaroslava firing a forehand during set 1 or 2, and (having donned fresh togs during the break after the 2nd set), after match point

#153 Olga Savchuk UKR d #365 Mariya Koryttseva UKR 6-4, 6-3 Tue
#155 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #553 wc Tara Iyer IND 6-0, 6-2 Tue

click for WTA gallery
Dominika being interrogated by Vijay Armitraj for Indian TV after the match

Bangalore, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu 11am Thu WTA story
loser's prize: $2,030 US (2006: $2,200); points: 20
#38 s1 Mara Santangelo ITA d #257 itf Akgul Amanmuradova UZB 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 Thu

click for Amanmuradova news photo search     click for Santangelo news photo search
Akgul's forehand drive, and Mara about to connect with a backhand

    After losing the 1st set, Mara trailed 0-3 in the 2nd. Mara said: "I really wasn't playing well in the beginning. My serve wasn't working and then she was serving very big; I couldn't return them at all. At 0-3 in the second I just got a hold of myself, stopped worrying about being tired and started making some shots. I'm so happy to have won that match today."

#49 s2 Sania Mirza IND d #123 Tatiana Poutchek BLR 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 Thu

click for Mirza news photo search     click for Poutchek news photo search
Sania about slice a backhand, and Tatiana driving one

    Sania lost the first five games of the match. Sania said: "It was an ugly match. I couldn't find the court in the first set and I had no business going down 5-0. I think the most important thing is that I found a way to win. I believe that in every week you have a bad day; it's about making sure that you win on those bad days. My improved fitness certainly helped, I had plenty of energy in the third set, so that's fantastic."

*#139 Tzipora Obziler ISR d #55 s3 Vasilisa Bardina RUS 6-1, 6-2 Wed
#59 s4 Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO d #155 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 6-4, 6-1 Wed
*#133 Yaroslava Shvedova RUS d #86 s7 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 Wed

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Yaroslava during a radio interview on Thursday

#97 Melinda Czink HUN d #142 Su-Wei Hsieh TPE 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 Thu

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Su-Wei dispatching a two-handed forehand, and Melinda keeping her balance on a tough backhand volley

*#153 Olga Savchuk UKR d #99 SR 23 Alicia Molik AUS 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 Thu

click for Savchuk news photo search
Olga following a forehand

    Former # 8 Alicia is still working her way back up the rankings after a prolonged inner ear infection that affected her balance and vision. Alicia said: "I'm very disappointed with how I played today. I didn't serve well and I had my chances but wasn't aggressive. When you're the aggressive player out there you expect to be the one making the shots, but that wasn't me today. [Olga] played well, but I really felt that I lost the match, making too many errors."

    Olga said: "I'm really happy to reach the quarterfinals here, as last year I made them in Antwerp, so it means I can defend my points. Alicia didn't play her best tennis tonight, but I'm happy that I fought hard for every point. I didn't focus on the score or winning or losing, just making the shots and that worked for me here."

*#236 q Yurika Sema JPN d #118 Yulia Beygelzimer UKR 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 Wed

Bangalore, QFs, Fri 11am WTA story
loser's prize: $3,740 US (2006: $4,050); points: 35
#38 s1 Mara Santangelo ITA d #236 q Yurika Sema JPN 6-1, 6-4

click for Sema news photo search     click for Santangelo news photo search
Yurika tossing the ball for her serve, and Mara running down a forehand

    Mara said: "I focused and started well; yesterday I started very nervously but today was different. There were nerves when I served for the match in the second set at 5-2, and I lost my serve, but I managed to keep it together."

*#133 Yaroslava Shvedova RUS d #49 s2 Sania Mirza IND 6(2)-7, 6-4, 6-4

click for Shvedova news photo search     click for Shvedova news photo search
Yaroslava after match point, and hitting balls to the crowd
after winning in her first WTA quarterfinal and reaching her first WTA semifinal

    Yaroslava said: "I knew [Sania] had a big forehand - my coach and I prepared a strategy for the match, which I can say included keeping the ball away from her forehand! This is my best ever win and the farthest I've gotten in a WTA Tour event. I loved the experience and I can't stop smiling."

    Sania said: "[Yaroslava] played unbelievably good tennis; nothing like someone ranked 140 in the world but more like someone Top 50 or Top 30. She served amazingly, her second serve was bouncing over my head.
    "I think in yesterday's match I played an unbelievable third set, but today she played an unbelievable third set. I'm disappointed, but I fought to the very last point and tried the whole match."

*#153 Olga Savchuk UKR d #59 s4 Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO 6-3, 6-4

    Olga said: "I'm very happy with my win. Jelena wasn't playing her best and was making many mistakes, so I just kept moving her and keeping it in play. It was all about concentration, and just keeping focused today."

    About her opponent in her first ever WTA singles semifinal, Mara Santangelo, Olga said: "She's such a great player and really complete. She serves and volleys well, and slices as well, so I will really have to play my best – better than I did today. I'll have to stay in the match every point."

*#139 Tzipora Obziler ISR d #97 Melinda Czink HUN 6-4, 7-6(3)

click for Obziler news photo search     click for Czink news photo search
Tzipora and Melinda both driving forehands

    Tzipora said: "I'm so happy, the match was good today; I think Czink played well and I was happy to get the win. I'm so excited - this means there could be three Israeli players in the Top 100, which is fantastic. I think I'd be the oldest to break into the Top 100, this must be some kind of record."

Bangalore, SFs, Sat 5pm WTA story
loser's prize: $7,105 US (2006: $7,700); points: 65
#38 s1 Mara Santangelo ITA d #153 Olga Savchuk UKR 6-1, 6-0

click for Santangelo news photo search     click for Savchuk news photo search     click for Santangelo news photo search
Mara's service toss, and Olga & Mara driving backhands

    Mara said: "The first couple of games of both sets were critical; that made the rest of the match easy. I had a strategy and I played so well today, serving well and not making any mistakes. I'm very happy with the way things went for me today, and I'm very excited about being in my second final."

#133 Yaroslava Shvedova RUS d #139 Tzipora Obziler ISR 7-5, 6-2

click for Shvedova news photo search   click for Obziler news photo search   click for Shvedova news photo search   click for Shvedova news photo search
Yaroslava and Tzipora driving backhands, Yaroslava after match point, and while hitting balls to the crowd
after winning in her first WTA semifinal and reaching her first WTA final

    Yaroslava said: "I'm an aggressive player, and it was a good match for me after a tough start. I think I was tight in the beginning, and I couldn't find my game, but I relaxed and it got much better...
    "I'm so happy. Yesterday I was happy but today I'm 10 times happier! I love the fans in Bangalore, they keep supporting me. I've never played Santangelo, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm just going to go out there and play."

Bangalore, Final Sun 6pm
loser's prize: $13,520 US (2006: $14,650); points: 100
winner's prize: $25,840 US (2006: $28,000); points: 140
*#133 Yaroslava Shvedova RUS d #38 s1 Mara Santangelo ITA 6-4, 6-4

click for Shvedova news photo search   click for Shvedova news photo search   click for Shvedova news photo search
Yaroslava driving a backhand, after match point, and with the goodies

Bangalore, Doubles Final after singles
losers' prize: $4,020 US (2006: $4,150)
winners' prize: $7,620 US (2006: $8,000)
cdr56 s1 Yung-Jan Chan & Chia-Jung Chuang d cdr189 s4 Su-Wei Hsieh & Alla Kudryavtseva 6-7(4), 6-2, (10-9)

click for Chuang news photo search   click for Chan news photo search
Chia-Jung leaping for a high-bouncing backhand, and with Yung-Jan (right) after match point


Bangalore, Qual Finals, Sun 10am
losers' prizes: q1: $185; q2: $325; q3: $605 US (2006: $650)
#157 Chin-Wei Chan TPE d #267 Sandy Gumulya INA
*#318 Nudnida Luangnam THA d #184 Andreja Klepac SLO
#236 Yurika Sema JPN d #284 Jing Ren CHN
#256 Shengnan Sun CHN d #347 Amina Rakhim KAZ

Bangalore, Withdrawals
#15 Serena Williams USA flu
#57 Romina Oprandi ITA
#74 Victoria Azarenka BLR
#112 Clarisa Fernandez ARG
#122 Stephanie Dubois CAN
#130 Galina Voskoboeva RUS

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    (Feb 11, 2007) Main draw play in the Sony Ericsson International has been postponed until Tuesday. A bandh (a general strike and closing of businesses) has been declared for Monday in Karnataka (the state in India which includes Bangalore). This occurs sometimes in South Asian countries for political purposes. In this case, Karnataka folks are upset because the state of Tamil Nadu has been assigned more water from the Cauvery River than their state has--so they are closing down their own state for a day as a protest.

    (Feb 11, 2007) # 31 Lucie Safarova, after the Paris final, withdrew from the Antwerp tourney due to left shoulder tendonitis. This has put the highest-ranked loser in Monday's qualifying finals into the main draw as a "lucky loser."

    (Feb 10, 2007) Both Williams Sisters Out: # 51 Venus Williams (left wrist) has withdrawn from Antwerp; # 15 Serena Williams (flu) has withdrawn from Bangalore.

    (Jan 8, 2007) [Note: Kim sustained a hip strain in January, which caused her to decide not to play doubles in Antwerp.] Belgian Kim Clijsters, who will retire by the end of this season at age 24, has seldom played doubles since injuring her left wrist at Indian Wells in March, 2005. Before that, Kim won 11 doubles titles, including the 2003 French Open and Wimbledon titles, partnered with Ai Sugiyama.
    This year, however, the Proximus website reports that: "From Hong Kong Kim Clijsters told [Tourney Director Bob] Verbeeck she would like to play the doubles in Antwerp, preferably with Patty Schnyder."
    The Proximus website also says that theirs will be Kim's last tourney in Belgium, indicating that she does not play to play at the Gaz de France Stars tourney in Hasselt, Belgium, which begins Oct 29, the last week of the season.

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